Mia's Special Someone
by WittyVitale
Summary: Mia babysits her little cousin Pearl one Friday night and gets an unexpected visit from Diego Armando. Mia/Diego fluff, Mia/Pearl family fluff, slight AU, and small spoiler for 3-5. Rating for one suggestive line.


**Mia's Special Someone**

**Disclaimer**: Phoenix Wright is owned by the good people at Capcom and not by me. I also don't own _Vinny's Lullaby_. It's from the 1985 Alvin and the Chipmunk special entitled _A Chipmunk Reunion_. So I guess Ross Bagdasarian owns it. Either way, it's not mine.

**Author's Note: ** Wow, I haven't published a fanfic in about 7 years. Anyway, this fanfic is kind of AU (some aspects aren't canon), it's pretty fluffy (Mia/Diego romance, Mia/Pearl family) and there is a small spoiler from 3-5 (it's kind of said in passing, but just in case, I'll label it as a spoiler). I hope you all enjoy it!

***

"Pearly!" Mia exclaimed as she opened her apartment door.

"Mystic Mia!" Pearly squealed, running into Mia's arms. Mia scooped the girl up and held her against her chest.

"Look at you, you've gotten so big!" Mia said, tickling Pearl under her chin, causing the young girl to giggle. "Has it really been a year?"

Morgan cleared her throat in annoyance. Yeah, the scene was cute, but Morgan didn't like seeing Pearl getting along with an older woman who wasn't her. Mia turned her attention away from Pearl and smiled at her aunt.

"Hello, Aunt Morgan," Mia said politely. "It's so nice to see you again. How have you been?"

"I can't say I approve of this," Morgan said with a small scoff. "But I had no other choice. My darling little Pearl is such a pure, innocent creature and I didn't want her to be exposed to the dirty, tainted city until she was much older."

Mia mentally rolled her eyes at how over-dramatic her aunt was, but outwardly showed nothing but respect and compassion for Morgan. "Don't worry, Aunt Morgan, Pearl won't go outside the apartment until you come back tomorrow morning, I promise."

"Hmph. Be sure she doesn't. Also, no visitors. Pearl has no experience with anybody from outside the village, and when she finally does meet someone, I want to be there to supervise. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Aunt Morgan, and don't worry, I'm not expecting anyone tonight. I usually stay in on Friday nights anyway, so there's no need to be concerned. I don't really have a life outside of work." Mia answered with a small laugh.

"Good." Morgan replied, completely ignoring Mia's attempt at humor and shoving a backpack towards her. "These are all of Pearl's things that she'll need for the overnight trip. Emergency numbers are in the front pocket." She then bent down slightly to kiss Pearl, who was still settled in Mia's arms. "Goodbye, my precious Pearl! Be a good girl, I'll be back first thing in the morning to pick you up."

"Bye-bye, Mommy," Pearl replied, throwing her arms around her mother's neck. "I love you."

"I love you too, sweetie-pie," Morgan said in the sweetest voice possible. When she detached herself from Pearl, however, her cold demeanor returned.

"Remember what I told you, Mystic Mia-"

"No leaving the apartment and no visitors, don't worry Aunt Morgan."

"Hmph." Morgan bent down to kiss Pearl once again before leaving. Pearl waved to her from the door until she was out of sight.

As soon as Morgan was gone, Mia let out a breath she had probably been holding since Morgan first arrived. She loved seeing Pearl, but Aunt Morgan could be trying at times. Mia loved her aunt of course, but how a woman who was capable of being so cold could have a daughter as sweet as Pearl was just beyond Mia.

Pearl proved not to need much maintenance. For a 3-year-old, Pearl was very mature and self-sufficient. She still liked to have fun though, and Mia spent the day doing just that with her pretzel-headed cousin. Most of the day was spent coloring, playing with some stuffed animals, and just talking to one another about what was going on in each other's lives. Pearl was curious to know what a "dee-fence attur-nee" did and Mia asked about what was going on in Kurain Village and how her sister Maya was doing. Both had a great time with the other, and Mia was so happy that she said yes to taking care of Pearl. A Friday night that normally would have been boring, uneventful, and spent watching marathons of _Law and Order_, was now one of the greatest Fridays she'd had in a long time, thanks to Pearl. But little did Mia know that her day was about to get much more interesting…

***

Before Mia knew it, it was already 6:30.

"Wow, it's dinnertime. Pearly, are you hungry?" Mia asked the small girl. Pearl simply nodded her head. "Anything you really have a taste for?"

Pearl's face grew thoughtful and she bit her thumb softly. "Not really." She finally replied.

"How about some pasta? Does that sound good?"

"Sure! I love pasta!" Pearly squeaked with a smile on her face.

Mia could not help but smile at how adorable her baby cousin was. Pearl managed to be cuter than a basket full of puppies when asked about something as simple as dinner.

"Great! It'll be about 15 minutes, okay Pearly?"

Pearl nodded again and sat down at the dinner table. Soon enough, the pasta was ready and Mia and Pearl had started their meal together. Their meal was spent mostly in silence and was pretty uneventful. But as soon as they were finished, they heard the doorbell ring.

"Hmm," Mia said as she stood up. "I'm not expecting anybody, I wonder who that could be…"

Pearl looked up at Mia with big questioning eyes. Mia said, "Hey Pearly, how about you brush your teeth and get ready for bed? I'll be in in a few minutes to tuck you in."

Pearl looked at the table bashfully. "Umm, Mystic Mia?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, Pearly?"

"After I get ready for bed, will you read me a bedtime story?"

Mia beamed at the prospect. It had been so long since she read to a small child. She used to read Maya to sleep all the time. It had become one of Mia's favorite activities and she was so glad that the opportunity to do so presented itself once again. "Of course I will." Mia replied as the doorbell rang again. "Pick the book you want me to read and I'll be in to read to you in a few minutes."

Pearl's face lit up and she stood up from her chair and hugged Mia around the legs.

"Thank you, Mystic Mia!" and with that, Pearl ran into Mia's bedroom to get her things in which to get ready for bed.

Mia couldn't stop smiling as she walked to the front door. When she opened it, her face quickly changed from a look of total bliss to a look of complete shock.

"D-Diego!" Mia exclaimed, a pink tinge already forming on her face. There he was: Diego Armando. Sexiest defense attorney at Grossberg Law Offices. Even though she had technically been dating him for a few months, the sight of Diego still took Mia's breath away. He stood in the doorway with his wild black hair that couldn't be tamed and his trademarked Cheshire-cat grin.

"Well hello there, Kitten," Diego said as he looked Mia up and down, grinning the whole time. "You look quite gorgeous in that outfit."

Mia, who gave no thought to what she was wearing, gave herself a quick once over. A black camisole and a simple pair of gray sleep-pants. "Come on, Diego, I'm barely dressed at all."

"Precisely."

"A-Anyway, what are you doing here at such a late hour?"

Diego cocked his eyebrow. "Late hour?" he said as he made his way inside and sat on the couch. "Kitten, it's not even 8:00 yet. The night's just beginning."

Mia glanced at the clock on the wall. 7:45. It felt later to her. But maybe that was because it was almost her 3-year-old guest's bedtime.

"I was wondering if you'd like to go out to dinner with me. My Fridays have been pretty boring lately, and what better way to spend one than to take my favorite kitten out for a night on the town?"

Mia blushed again at being Diego's "favorite" something, but then it hit her. Pearl. Here. Strange man in the apartment. Death by Auntie Morgan's rage. Oh crap.

"Sorry, Diego, but I have to ask you to leave." Mia said, yanking Diego roughly (more roughly than she meant to) off of her couch.

Now it was Diego's turn to display a shocked expression. "Whoa there, little kitten, why the abrupt change in attitude?"

"Diego, normally I'd say yes, but I already ate-"

"Is that all? Kitten, we could just stay here and watch a movie or something. Just as long as I'm with you, that's all I care about."

Mia's heart beat a little faster in response to Diego's last comment. "N-no, that's not the reason, it's because-"

Suddenly, something grabbed Diego's attention. A small girl walked out of Mia's bedroom, holding a book in front of her body that was almost as big as she was.

"Well well, what do we have here?" Diego asked, looking at the little girl.

Pearl's eyes peeked from behind the book at the strange man in front of her. Pearl had never had much interaction with men, so the sight of Diego scared her a little. She shyly raised the book over her eyes again.

_Oh god, Aunt Morgan's going to kill me…_ Mia thought worriedly, wondering what she should do next. She decided to walk over to Pearl and knelt down to her level.

"You were taking too long, so I wanted to see where you were." Pearl whispered to Mia.

"I'm so sorry Pearly, I was at the door longer than I thought," Mia replied apologetically. She once again scooped Pearl in her arms. "I'll read to you right now." Turning to Diego, she said, "Sorry, Diego, but I have to ask you to go. I already have a date tonight."

Diego raised his eyebrows in surprise before giving Mia an understanding smile. "Quite all right, Kitten. But before I go, can I ask the name of the little girl who got to my Kitten before I did?"

Pearl looked at Diego and buried her face in Mia's shoulder out of shyness. Mia smiled sympathetically. _Well, she's already seen him, no harm in telling him now_. "This is my little cousin, Pearl. My aunt needed someone to babysit her until tomorrow morning. She's, umm, a little shy around men."

"I see…" Diego replied.

"I tried to get you to leave because my aunt didn't want Pearl to meet anybody outside the village this weekend. But I guess that didn't exactly work out."

"Well, the last thing I want to do is get my kitten in trouble," Diego started. "I'll leave then. But how about tomorrow night?"

"T-that sounds great," Mia said, beginning to blush again.

"Then it's a date." With that, Diego gave Mia a quick peck on the cheek and then started to head out. The sound of the kiss caused Pearl's head to shoot up and look at Diego.

"U-umm, e-excuse me, s-sir." Pearl asked nervously. Diego turned around and eyed Pearl questioningly.

"What is it, sweetheart?" he asked, in an uncharacteristic fashion for him. He sounded almost fatherly. Mia was taken aback by his tone and… it warmed her heart a bit.

"Umm…" Pearl began, looking at the floor. "A-are you Mystic M-Mia's…" Pearl remembered the kiss and immediately lit up, signs that she had once been shy completely disappeared. "Are you Mystic Mia's special someone?"

Mia quickly turned as red as a tomato. "P-Pearly!" she exclaimed, taken off guard by her little cousin's perceptiveness and sudden audacity.

"Ha!..." Diego laughed, highly amused now. "Out of the mouths of babes."

"Diego! D-don't give her any ideas…"

"Ideas? What do you mean? You're not denying it, are you, Kitten?"

Pearl gasped in delight, a huge smile plastered on her face. "You ARE Mystic Mia's special someone!! You asked her on a date, you kissed her on the cheek, and you're even calling her a pet name! Wow, this is just like a fairy tale!!"

"Ha!... Tell me Pearl, how old are you?"

"Three and two quarters." Pearl proudly answered.

"Well, I see brains run in the Fey family. Your cousin's pretty sharp, Mia."

"I- umm, I," Mia began, her face still red. "Diego, it's past Pearl's bedtime, I really think you should go."

"No, Mystic Mia, he can't go now!" Pearl protested. "He's your special someone, he should be by your side forever! Mr. Diego, would you like to read a bedtime story with us?"

Diego looked down at Pearl and smiled warmly. "Well, I've never turned down an invitation from a cute girl before. What do you say, Kitten, can I hear a bedtime story too?" And now, every time Diego called Mia "Kitten," Pearl would lightly squeal with delight.

In addition to Pearl's huge eyes being filled with hope and excitement, Mia was also confronted with Diego giving her a mock pout and puppy dog eyes. How could she say no now?

"All right, all right, you guys win," Mia said, with a playful sigh of defeat, plopping down on the couch. "I'll read you both a story."

Pearl cheered and bounced up and down in Mia's lap, where she was now situated. "Mr. Diego, you sit right here." Pearl said matter-of-factly, patting the part of the sofa right next to Mia. "You're Mystic Mia's special someone, so you should sit right next to her."

"You're the boss," Diego grinned as he took his seat next to Mia. He put his arm around her for good measure, which made Pearl even happier.

Mia wouldn't say it out loud, but she was in heaven. She brought Pearl closer to her and snuggled into Diego before picking up the book. On the cover were two anthropomorphic cats, one brown and the other black. The brown kitty looked like she was worriedly gluing pieces of a vase together while the black kitty was crying in the midst of the wreckage. "Let's see what we have here. _The Kitty Sisters and the Broken Urn_ by Elise Deauxnim."

"She's the best author ever!!" Pearl exclaimed. "She draws really pretty pictures and writes really good stories!! This one is my absolute favorite!"

Mia looked at the cover a little closer and couldn't help but think that the scene looked really familiar. But those thoughts were quickly shoved to the back of her mind.

"Well, I've never read it, but if you're saying it's your favorite, then it must be good," Mia replied, smiling at Pearl and moving even closer to Diego. "Let's begin:"

And Mia began to read the book to Pearl and Diego. Mia and Diego were snuggled together and little Pearl was sitting on Mia's lap. They looked like a young family.

For a book written for small children, Mia and Diego couldn't help but find the story and the pictures fascinating. And the story had a good moral at the end: your family will always love you and help you no matter what you do. And with a soft "the end," Mia closed the book and turned her eyes towards a drowsy Pearl. "How was that, Pearly?"

With a yawn, Pearl looked up at Mia and smiled. "That was great! You're really good at reading stories, Mystic Mia!"

"She's right, Kitten," Diego agreed, eyes on Mia. "That was quite an impressive bit of storytelling."

Mia grinned sheepishly due to all the praise she was receiving. "Oh come on guys, I just read the book, I didn't write it," she chuckled. Pearl yawned again and snuggled herself against Mia's chest. "Are you sleepy, Pearly?"

"Not really." Pearl replied, struggling to keep her eyes open. Mia and Diego looked at each other and smiled. That was when Mia was hit by a great idea; a sure-fire way to get Pearl to sleep. She'd used to do it when she wanted to get Maya to go to sleep. Mia smiled softly to herself and looked at Pearl with love in her eyes.

"Well then," Mia said, standing up with Pearl cradled in her arms. "I suppose we have to fix that. It is your bedtime, after all."

Pearl sleepily looked up at Mia and smiled. She was pretty sure she knew what Mia had in mind. And since her mother did it rarely, she was really looking forward to it. "Are you going to sing to me?"

"MmmHmm." Mia answered with a nod. "My mother used to sing this song to me when I was a little girl. And I always fell right to sleep."

Pearl smiled again and nestled herself into Mia's arms. Mia began to sing and Diego stared at the two of them, smiling at the sweet scene of Mia gently rocking Pearl back and forth.

_Hush your thoughts little one  
Close your eyes little one  
Dream time is near  
You needn't fear  
And when you wake, I will be here_

As Mia was in the middle of the song, she felt a strong pair of hands on her shoulders. Diego gently swung to Mia's side, still holding her shoulders. A male voice soon joined Mia's in song and Mia felt her heart grow even warmer:

_Rest your head little one  
Dream sweet dreams little one  
The stars say goodnight  
I say sleep tight  
And when you wake, I will be here_

_And when you wake, I will be here._

Mia sang the last line solo, and as she trailed off, she looked down and found that Pearl was fast asleep in her arms. Mia smiled softly and turned to Diego.

"I'm going to put her to bed," she whispered to him. "I'll be right back."

Diego nodded and grinned. Mia walked into her bedroom and tucked Pearl into bed. Before leaving, Mia gave her cousin a little kiss on the forehead. Then she gently closed the door and walked back to Diego.

As soon as Mia returned to Diego, she was welcomed back with a passionate kiss on the lips. When they broke apart, Mia found herself lost in Diego's eyes.

"Diego," she whispered.

"Now I'm more certain than ever, Mia," Diego said, gently wrapping his arms around Mia's waist.

Mia was now a bit confused. "Certain of what, Diego?"

"That you're the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with," he said, kissing her on the lips once again. "I saw a side of you tonight I've never seen before. And it was beautiful. You were so beautiful when you were singing to Pearl."

Mia bashfully looked at her feet. "I could say the same to you Diego," she replied, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I had no idea you were capable of being so fatherly. Or that you had such a nice singing voice." She said the last sentence with a light laugh.

Diego smirked. "It was all you, Kitten. I saw you singing to Pearl, and some kind of force brought me to my feet and joined you. That's never happened to me before. Usually I'm the one who forces another to her feet. You truly are one special woman, Mia."

The comment made Mia blush once again. "You'd make a pretty good father, Diego."

"And you'd make an even better mother," He brought Mia against his chest and hugged her tightly. "One day, Mia. One day we'll have our own family."

"I'd love that. So…much…" Mia felt her eyes grow heavy and Diego realized that she was about to fall asleep. He sat her down on the couch and let her rest her head against him. She was soon asleep against his shoulder. Luckily, Diego remembered what Mia had said about her Aunt Morgan not wanting visitors in the apartment while Pearl was there. So he gently cradled Mia in his arms and carried her to her bed. He placed Mia beside Pearl and pulled up the covers. Giving Mia one more soft kiss on the lips, Diego turned around and left quietly.

He didn't see her, but when Diego kissed Mia, one of Pearl's little eyes were open, watching the whole scene. She smiled and gradually fell back asleep, thrilled that she had actually witnessed true love; the love of Mia and her special someone.

THE END


End file.
